The Real Problem
by softball5
Summary: What would've happened if Elena told Damon how she really felt? What if she admitted to him that the real problem wasn't his love, but hers?  My version of what takes place after Dangerous Liaisons.


**So just a one-shot I thought of because the end of Dangerous Liaisons made me mad:)**

**Review comments pleaseeee!**

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><p>I woke up the next morning with a frown already forming on my face as I remembered what happened yesterday. I could've saved Elijah and I could've told Damon how I really felt, but instead I broke Damon's heart and I pretty much sent Elijah to his grave. I couldn't fix what happened with Elijah because it was sealed for good but I had to talk to Damon before my frown turned into sobbing so I quickly got dressed and started driving to the boarding house.<p>

I nervously walked up to the door contemplating what I would say and was about to knock when the door swung open to Damon with a, no doubt, probably 30th bourbon in his hand I'm sure he didn't need.

"What do you want, Elena? You're wasting my time just standing there and I doubt you have anything new to say that I haven't already heard, I heard you loud and clear last night." He said, each word sharp as knives as I stood there stunned.

He continued, "What, no comment? No 'I'm sorry Damon I just still love Stefan' or 'Damon, what was I supposed to say?' or your little warning when I go too far so you just say 'Damon…' so I'll stop talking? Just leave Elena."

He turned around and started walking in the couch expecting me to leave.

"No." I said confidently trying to keep my voice steady.

"What?" He shouted at me as he blurred in front of me and pushed me against the wall.

"I said no Damon!" I shouted because I knew that although he's a vampire and could kill me in seconds, he couldn't hurt me because he loved me too much.

His tone kept getting angrier as he told me to leave hoping it would scare me away, "Damon, you can't hurt me and you know it." I stated.

"Maybe I can't hurt you, but I will remove you from this house, that I can do." He said in my face with n joking in his tone then he screamed, "GET OUT NOW." And he was about to pick me up and literally throw me out of the house.

"Stop! Ok just give me 5 minutes, 5 minutes to say what I need to say then I swear I will walk out that door and won't bother you ever again." I said pleading.

His face didn't change or show any less hatred toward me but finally said, "Ok, if that will get you to leave then say what you want I don't care but 5 minutes that's all." And for extra effect he set the timer on his watch and said, "Go."

I gave him a half smile trying to ease things up before I started but he just gave me a death stare so I started, here goes nothing.

"Damon, look I'm sorry for what I said last night, but the thing is is I really did mean it.-" I started.

Damon's face dropped and said meanly, "Would you just leave, Elena you're not helping yourself out."

"Let me finish Damon! Ok you said you'd give me 5 minutes!" I started to get angry with him and started yelling, "but what I said was true. I'm just gonna get this out and get it out fast considering I only have 5 minutes. Look, I've been pretending for a long time to love Stefan and I've been pulling it off really well for a long time, then you being you, you're going to ruin it! I've ignored you, pushed you away, and been so incredibly mean to you to try and make you hate me. But you just didn't seem to get the hint! I couldn't let myself be around you or else I would fall for you and I knew it! I never loved Stefan couldn't you see that? You're so stupid, couldn't you tell when I told you that I loved Stefan I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince you!" There was no stopping me now, I was on a roll.

"And I can't love anyone else because there's not enough of my heart left to be broken when you leave me. And I thought for this whole time that you and Stefan came into Mystic Falls that both of you would leave me because that's all I've ever know anyways and maybe I could just like Stefan and be with him to take the safe route and be okay when Stefan left me! But over all this time I started to have to be around you more and push you away more but I don't think I can anymore! You think it's tough for you to kiss me and me not kiss back, at least you get a kiss, I'm the one who has to push you away and that takes the most strength of all!"

His face slowly started to change and his expression was no longer anger but I had to keep going.

"And worst of all, I finally trust you! How could I allow myself to trust you? I never meant to do that because now, when you told me you love me and would never leave me, I actually believe you! And now that I believe that you won't leave me I can't keep myself from telling you this: what I said last night was true, you loving me is the problem, because it's causing the REAL PROBLEM, it's causing me to love you! Yes, and I'll say it again, I love you Damon!" Tears started pouring down my face as his watch timer went off right as I finished and I started to walk out the door for the last time.

The next thing I knew Damon blurred in front of me with his face inches from mine with the biggest smile on his face, "And where do you think you're going?"

We both moved closer to each other at the same time reading each other's minds and as his lips connected with mine if felt perfect. There was no guilt and no hesitation, it was just me and Damon having the kiss we had waited too long for. We both smiled in between kisses as he gave me a second to breath and started kissing me again, then pulled away and I frowned in confusion.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's just I wanted you to know you're nothing like Katherine. I know you always fear you're like her but you're nothing like her and you know what the biggest reason is?" He said.

"What?" I asked hesitantly.

"Your strength. You're stronger than her Elena, she played with guys and didn't mean anything of it. You're capable of love Elena and that's something she was never strong enough to do." He smiled and my face turned into a smile as well.

"But you know, I guess you do kind of look like her. The resemblance really shows and-" He started joking and I punched his arm.

"Just shut up Damon and stop wasting my time," I mocked him from earlier, "You're just standing there and I doubt you have anything new to say that I haven't already heard, you have 5 minutes to kiss me or else I'm leaving." I joked and didn't have time to react before he was in front of me and pulling my face toward his.

"I'm pretty sure I couldn't last 5 minutes without kissing you so doesn't look like you'll be leaving anytime soon." And with that he covered my lips with his and we finally both felt we were where we belonged.

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><p><strong>Sooo what do you think?<strong>

**Review any comments or thoughts you have, thanks!**


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